Torn Apart
by FanfictMONSTER
Summary: Draco is in a state of despair, but Hermione thinks she may be able to help. Rated for the use of the GASP "d word!" :0 I don't own Harry Potter. yes I do. No. I'm kidding.


Draco Malfoy pushed past the cheery students in the hallway, their protests and complaints as they were shoved to the side raining down upon his ears. He angrily shoved his white- blonde hair out of his eyes as he continued in his path, winding through his classmates like a snake. He could feel the burning sensation behind his eyes as he tightened his grip around the letter in his hand. The stupid letter from his stupid father. It was filled with hateful words and sentences strewn together, telling Draco just how ashamed his father was of him for various reasons. He had felt like such an idiot when he had finally received the long- awaited owl from his "beloved" dad. He had opened it, practically shaking with anticipation, only to be attacked with fierce words and proclamations of his father's disappointment.

This was all his dad's fault. His fault that Draco was a jerk, his fault that he had no friends. But he couldn't help being the way he was. He was raised as a pureblood should be, and now suffered greatly for it.

He finally arrived at his destination; a shadowy corner of stone at the end of a deserted hallway. He had to be sure no one would find him here.

He backed up against the wall and slid wearily down it, throat tight and eyes stinging. The world began to blur into messy images, and he gasped quietly, trying to hold back the tears. But they were too strong, and he felt them trickle down his cheeks. Suddenly, he began to sob, and he let go of all the emotion he had been holding back. Burying his head in his hands, his body shook with the effort.

His father never loved him. He was the tool, always the tool. For his mother, his father, even damn Voldemort used him and then disposed of him afterwards, dumping him here and retrieving him when needed. No one cared whether he lived or died, and the only thing he had created at Hogwarts were enemies.

He suddenly punched the wall fiercly, and let out a whimper of sadness, his depression rolling over him once more in a wave.

"Malfoy?"

He jumped at the voice, and quickly swiped his tears away, cowering in the darkness as much as possible to avoid showing his red- eyed face.

"What?" he called out in a broken voice.

Granger was there, a few feet away, probably on her way to class. Her tousled, bushy hair was shining and her soft eyes were fixed on him. He felt himself blush at the state he was in before her, and called out, "What do you want?"

Her slim figure approached him cautiously, and he felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at her, simply standing there.

"Are you… what are you doing?" she asked gently.

"None of your business, _mudblood_."

She flinched at the name, and he immediately felt a pang of guilt and remorse, but she didn't walk away as he had expected.

"I'm… ", he couldn't bring himself to apologize to her. That would be stooping too low.

"Sorry?" she offered, but not hotly.

Draco drew in a shaky breath and nodded.

She walked up to him in his pathetic position and this time he didn't cower away.

Hermione placed her books gently down beside him and extended her hand.

"May I see?"

She looked at the paper.

Draco flushed with embarrassment and said rather harshly, "No, this is mine." She didn't look at all persuaded.

"Accio paper." She suddenly proclaimed, whipping out her wand, and the paper rushed to her hand, leaving a stinging red slice on Malfoy's hand.

"Ow! God damn it, Granger!" he yelped angrily. "Stop!"

But her glowing eyes were already gliding across the words on the page, and Draco stared in defeat. His eyes, suddenly distracted, surveyed her beauty. Her silky, mousy, tangled brown hair, her fair complexion, and her bold Gryffindor colors that made her eyes pop out. Once again, his heart thumped wildly at the sight of the mudblood.

Her face crumpled and her brows furrowed as she lightly mouthed the paragraph on the letter. When she finished, she looked up, cheeks flushed pink.

"That's… terrible, Draco." She called him by his name. His actual name…

"No one should ever treat anyone like that."

"Yeah, well…" he replied, looking down at the floor. Once again tears welled in his eyes. He blinked once and they fell to the cold stone floor. He sniffed quietly, and Hermione melted to sit beside him. When had he become such a baby?

There was a silent moment, both of them sitting nicely together.

Finally she spoke. "I'm sorry."

"Whatever," he responded.

Suddenly her arms were around him, and she pulled herself to him, hugging him tightly. He gave a startled jump and looked down at her. Her eyes were closed and she was resting her head on his shoulder. His enemy… hugging him. His arms unconsciously rose to wrap around her waist, and suddenly more tears were spilling down his cheeks because somebody actually cared about him, and he had never been hugged with so much compassion before in his life.

_Thank you_, he thought. _Thank you thank you thank you so much_. But he stayed silent.

She let go and he felt his heart drop.

"You can get through it, Draco." She said quietly, a hint of a smile on her perfectly pink lips.

She pressed them to his cheek in a silent kiss, then rose, books in hand, and disappeared around the corridor. His heart leapt and pounded wildly at the thought of what had just transpired.

Draco looked down at the letter in his hand and tore it in half, smiling.


End file.
